Cannabis tourism in the United States is a form of

drug tourism Recreational drug tourism is travel for the purpose of obtaining or using drugs for recreational use that are unavailable, illegal or very expensive in one's home jurisdiction. A drug tourist may cross a national border to obtain a drug that is not ...

that exists in recreationally legal cannabis states. As of May 2023, 23 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam have legalized recreational cannabis. In 2014, the travel guide

Fodors Fodor's is a producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor, who created his first travel guide, ''1936...on the Continent'', with the intention of improving upon the directo ...

published a "how to" for cannabis tourists in Washington state. The official Washington tourism website has a FAQ section for cannabis tourism. In 2013, prior to legalization, the Washington State Liquor Control Board (now the

Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, formerly the Washington State Liquor Control Board, is an administrative agency of the State of Washington. The Liquor and Cannabis Board is part of the executive branch and reports to the governor ...

) commissioned a study of cannabis legalization on the state, including the impact of tourism. The study, written by Carnegie Mellon University researchers, estimated over 400,000 new visits a year to the state. The Washington State legislature specifically considered tourism in its 2015 I-502 reform. One legal expert stated "Washington’s cannabis tourism industry is in jeopardy" as a result. Because consumption in public is illegal, rentals like (Bud and Breakfast) and

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( , an abbreviation of its original name, "Air Bed and Breakfast") is an American company operating an online marketplace for short-and-long-term homestays, experiences and services in various countries and regions. It acts as a ...

include " 420 friendly" in descriptions for cannabis tourists, and cannabis tourism rental specialists have sprung up to meet demand. Some states like Illinois have provided an “on-premise” consumption license for dispensaries and any businesses that sell some form of cannabis, whether it be a dispensary, cannabis-infused restaurant or coffee shop like those commonly found in Amsterdam. The actual impact of cannabis tourism is debated. Industry groups say it is significant, but state tourism officials in Washington said there is "fairly low amounts of consumer interest through our visitor information", and in Colorado "We still don't have any numbers that support that marijuana tourism exists". An

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...

report stated that Hotels.com bookings were up slightly after legalization in both states.

Manitou Springs Manitou Springs is a home rule municipality located at the foot of Pikes Peak in western El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The town was founded for its natural mineral springs. The downtown area continues to be of interest to traveler ...

is a small town in

El Paso County, Colorado El Paso County is the List of counties in Colorado, most populous county in the U.S state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 730,395, surpassing the city and county of Denver. The county seat is ...

. It is home to two recreational cannabis dispensaries, the only two in the second most populous county in the state. As a direct result of recreational cannabis sales the city's tax base increased. Manitou sales tax collections set a record in July 2014, which included only a few hours of recreational cannabis sales for the month. One operator's Manitou Springs location is their most popular, due to its location at the foot of Pike’s Peak.

Expansion

Tourism in Oregon was expected to begin in 2016 with legal retail availability for non-residents. Expansion of cannabis tourism to Vermont, and to Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, California, has been discussed. Tourism in Colorado has since seen a decline by 22% in cannabis tourism from 2021 to 2022. In that city report, in 2022, Denver fell to its lowest percentage since legalizing, following along with comments from state tourism officials in Washington.

References

Books

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External links

Marijuana tourism
article collection at ''

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''
Marijuana in America - Colorado's pot rush
video clip collection at

CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-cannabis-tourism_l_63026695e4b0f72c09d86293 Cannabis culture Tourism in the United States Cannabis in the United States Recreational drug tourism

Expansion

References

Books

Further reading

External links